Watch your backside when it comes to using the Internet on the job.
I don’t know anyone who quarrels with the fact that the use of E-Mail, blogs and web surfing have grown like wildfire. So has the abuse of these media in the workplace.
A study by Websense, Inc. shows that the average total Internet usage is almost 13 hours per week. Just over three hours of that time is spent surfing for sites not related to work. Then there is time spent playing video games, watching porno, gossiping, passing on rumors and making plans for the weekend. Add time spent looking for a new job, which 23 percent of people do on company time.
Nobody should be surprised that employers are getting tougher in cracking down on employees who use the Internet for non-work purpose on the job. Many are installing software that blocks access to the Internet. One survey reports that 26 percent of have fired workers for misusing the medium.
Blogs do offer an enticing opportunity to blow off steam about your boss and the outrageous behavior of the co-worker in the next cubicle. Just remember everything is indexed and Googled. In other words, nothing really disappears forever in Cyberspace. There’s a record out there that can come back to haunt you with a lawsuit or a reprimand.
Beware! “Big Brother” is watching for Internet abuse in the workplace. Besides every hour spent at your keyboard with non-work related subjects is time taken away from the focus on accelerating your career.
What’s going on with you and your workplace?
Here’s to your success!
Ramon
I found myself spending more time online for personal use during work and therefore being less engaged with the work I was supposed to be doing. To get back on track, I set rules for myself like only checking my personal email once during my lunch hour and after work if needed. The thought of my employer tracking my internet use is enough keep me from surfing on company time!